The prices for water and sewer service in and around Fayetteville are on track to increase on May 1 of this year and again on May 1 of next year.

The Fayetteville Public Works Commission, which is owned by the city of Fayetteville and supplies water, sewer and electrical service to much of the Fayetteville area, on Wednesday received a proposal from its staff to raise water and sewer rates about 5.5% this year and 5.4% next year. This is to generate an additional $8 million of revenue per year, Jason Alban, the PWC’s director of financial planning and capital projects, told the PWC commissioners.

The board voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on the topic at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, to listen to what PWC customers think of the proposed rate increases. The PWC commissioners will also accept written comments on the proposal through Friday, Feb. 21.

A corporate headshot of a man in a blue plaid jacket, white shirt and glasses.
Fayetteville Public Works Commission Vice Chair Richard King. Credit: Fayetteville Public Works Commission

PWC Commissioner Richard King said as a businessman, the rate increase will affect him. He said he owns buildings with no tenants that are going to have higher utility bills if he votes to increase the rates.

But as a commissioner, King said, he sees that the PWC has to raise prices to maintain its operations. “I understand both sides. I don’t like it. No one here does. However, it’s the cost of doing business,” he said. 

Why does the PWC want to increase water and sewer prices?

The costs of building and maintaining the PWC’s water and sewer network and equipment is the primary factor behind the requested rate increase, Alban said.

For example, the PWC is building new building-sized filter systems to extract PFAS “forever chemicals” from its drinking water supplies. These are budgeted at $111.2 million, CityView previously reported. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last year gave drinking water utility companies a 2029 deadline to install filter systems.

The PWC also is expanding its Rockfish Creek sewer treatment plant, has ongoing projects with the N.C. Department of Transportation and is still expanding sewer service into areas that have been annexed into the Fayetteville city limit, Alban said.

A sketch of a granular activated carbon filtration system to remove PFAS chemicals from drinking water. The Fayetteville Public Works Commission expects to spend $111.2 million to install this equipment at its two water treatment plants.
A sketch of a granular activated carbon filtration system to remove PFAS chemicals from drinking water. The Fayetteville Public Works Commission expects to spend $111.2 million to install this equipment at its two water treatment plants. Credit: Hazen and Sawyer

How much will the increase cost?

The rate increases vary based on the type of customer and service and how much water the customer uses. The proposed list of rates is to be published on the PWC’s website before the Feb. 26 public hearing.

The per-gallon rates for residents for drinking water and other household uses is not rising. For example, the first 2,000 gallons a residential customer uses in a month costs $4.52, and that is not increasing.

However residents will see increases elsewhere in their bills. The monthly price for a meter is $22.50 now, it becomes $23.75 on May 1 and $25 in May 2026.

Prices per gallon for water used in irrigation and used by commercial customers will rise on May 1 and again next year.

If a home with a 3/4-inch diameter water line uses 4,000 gallons of water in a month:

  • The water and sewer bill now is $81.62.
  • The bill after the May 1 rate increase will be $84.87.
  • The bill after next year’s rate increase will be $88.12.

If a business with a 2-inch waterline uses 15,000 gallons of water in a month:

  • The bill now is $380.35.
  • On May 1, the bill will rise to $406.50.
  • On May 1 next year, the bill will rise to $433.45.

How to tell the PWC what you think about the proposed rates

People can tell the PWC what they think of the proposed rates by attending the public hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 26 or by submitting written comments. The hearing will be at the PWC office, 955 Old Wilmington Road, Fayetteville.

Those who appear at the public hearing will be given up to 3 minutes to speak.

People who want to speak at the public hearing must register in advance, no later than 8:30 a.m. Feb. 26. There are several ways to register:

  • Visit the PWC clerk at the PWC office on a weekday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Register with the clerk in person at the PWC office just before the hearing, between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Feb. 26.
  • Send your name and address to the PWC clerk via email at pwcboard@FayPWC.com or via fax to (910) 829-0207.

People who want to submit written comments about the proposed rate increase may do so, and written comments must arrive at the PWC office no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 21. People must include their name, mailing address and phone number, and their comments must not exceed 300 words.

Options for submitting written comments:

  • Email comments to the PWC clerk at pwcboard@FayPWC.com.
  • Fax comments to (910) 829-0207.
  • Mail comments to PWC, Attention: PWC Clerk to the Board, P.O. Box 1089, Fayetteville, NC 28302.
  • Visit the PWC website, faypwc.com, which will have a webpage for people to submit comments. (The comment webpage was not yet available as of publication time.)

Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at 910-261-4710 and pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.

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Paul Woolverton is CityView's senior reporter, covering courts, local politics, and Cumberland County affairs. He joined CityView from The Fayetteville Observer, where he worked for more than 30 years.